So died Montrose, and eleven years later the king who had disowned him
bethought him of his fate. In January 1661 the Parliament, which had
been summoned by the restored monarch, Charles II., 'thought fit to
honour Montrose his carcase with a glorious second burial, to compensate
the dishonour of the first.' His limbs, which had been placed over the
gates of the cities made memorable by his victories, remained in state
at Holyrood for four months, and May 11 was fixed to lay them where they
now rest, in the church of St. Giles. Heralds in their many-coloured
robes arranged the procession, and the train-bands occupied the street
to keep off the dense crowds. The magistrates, headed by the provost,
walked two and two in deep mourning--had any of them taken part in that
brutal scene eleven years ago?--and behind them came the barons and the
burgesses. Next followed the dead man's kinsmen bearing his armour, the
order of the garter, and his field-marshal's baton, and behind the
coffin came his two sons and most of his kindred. Middleton, as lord
high commissioner and representative of the king, occupied the place of
honour, and brought up the rear in a coach drawn by six horses, with six
bareheaded gentlemen riding on each hand.
Thus was Montrose lowered into his grave to the sound of the guns that
he loved, which thundered from the castle. He has a beautiful tomb in
the old church of St. Giles, adorned with the coats-of-arms of the
Grahams and Napiers and his other brothers-in-arms.
A CHILD'S HERO
On a dark January day in the year 1858 a little girl was running quickly
downstairs for her play-hour with her elders. Just as she reached the
foot of the staircase the drawing-room door opened, and her brother came
out with a grave face. 'Havelock is dead!' said he, and at the news the
little girl laid her head against the wall and burst into tears.
* * * * *
Who was this Havelock, that a strange child should care so much about
him? Well, he was a man who worked hard and fought hard all the days of
his life, never shirking his duty or envious of the good luck of others.
Again and again those who had shared the burden and heat of the day with
Havelock got rewards to which it might seem that he had an equal claim;
still, whatever his disappointment he showed no sign, but greeted his
fortunate friends cheerfully, and when it was required of him served
under them with all his might. Just at the end the chance came to him
also, and gloriously he profited by it.
But if you want to know how that came about you must begin at the
beginning.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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